The FBI Finally Hacked That Locked iPhone, Ending Its Feud with Apple

It’s all thanks to “assistance of a third party."

After a very public fight, the F.B.I. has dropped its suit against Apple. The government was asking the tech giant to create new software that would help them unlock the iPhone of the San Bernardino attackers, but through the help of a third party were able to crack the device themselves.

In a statement, prosecutors said, "Our decision to conclude the litigation was based solely on the fact that, with the recent assistance of a third party, we are now able to unlock that iPhone without compromising any information on the phone."

This motion to dismiss caps a very short, but intense battle with Apple about the privacy rights of its customers, American citizens and national security. The company's CEO, Tim Cook, was very vocal and firm about his decision not to aid the F.B.I. as he saw creating a "backdoor" to Apple's encryption technology as setting a dangerous precedent.